Your Will, Not Mine

August 15, 2014October 21, 2014 / Jodie / Leave a comment

Luke 11:5-13

5 Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, 6 ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ 7 And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ 8 But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.[a]

9 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

11 “You fathers—if your children ask[b] for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? 12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! 13 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

Jesus taught His disciples the importance of being persistent in prayer so that they could obtain what they needed. Often times, when this disciple doesn’t get the answer I want, I respond like a self-centered child by throwing a hissy fit…and then I just stop talking to God altogether. Of course, that never brings about the desired result of getting my own way, all it does is separate me from the One who holds the keys to what I need to receive, find, or be opened to in the Spirit.

There are three items on my prayer list right now that I’ve been asking the Lord about for years. YEARS. One, in particular, He has remained silent on……I’m continuing to ask Him about it, but recently, my prayers have shifted from me stomping my foot, demanding an answer (right NOW!!!), to me demanding my will to submit to His. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, my focus has miraculously become less about the prayer that I want answered and more about the One who answers my prayers. Jesus modeled this most humbly, as he faced impending death on a cross:

Matthew 26:39

39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

On another prayer request, I’ve received an answer in the form of a promise. Since then, I’ve continued asking Him to confirm what I believe I heard through His Word- and others. As my doubt has begun to evaporate, transforming into faith the size of a mustard seed, I keep knocking, declaring “may Your Kingdom come, may Your will be done!”

Matthew 6:9-10

9 Pray like this: Our Father in heaven,  may your name be kept holy.

10 May your Kingdom come soon.  May your will be done on earth,  as it is in heaven.

My final request has become a daily act of obedience. God, in His infinite wisdom continues to give me the manna I need to survive –just for the day. Realizing that He made me to be a planner, He knows that what I need (before He answers), is to know how to trust and follow His plan for my life. Just as with the other two requests, He is teaching me to submit my wants, my will to Him, so that I can learn how to love Him with all my heart, mind, soul and strength. After all, that is what my prayers should be about- His will, His purposes, His Kingdom, His power, His glory….not mine.

I Urge You

July 25, 2014January 8, 2015 / Jodie / Leave a comment

1 Corinthians 4:14-16

14 I am not writing these things to shame you, but to warn you as my beloved children. 15 For even if you had ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, you have only one spiritual father. For I became your father in Christ Jesus when I preached the Good News to you. 16 So I urge you to imitate me.

This passage, taken from a letter that Paul penned to the church in Corinth, appears to be written by a pompous and proud leader.

It isn’t.

Paul, who was the church founder, was writing to his beloved children to warn them of the evil that was operating in their midst. These “infant” Christians were still very susceptible to living by the flesh, instead of living in the Spirit. As a result, they were indulging in all kinds of sin; greed, cheating, sexual sin and worshipping idols, just to name a few. In order to continue training them in the way that they should go, Paul, who was their spiritual father- their mentor, urged these new believers to imitate him- as he imitated Christ. He was, as any loving parent would do, imploring his children to obey God so that they could enjoy a long life!

Proverbs 22:6

Train up a child [a]in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Ephesians 6:2-3

2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

This parent-child relationship that was established in the early church doesn’t just apply to the Corinthians. It applies to today’s church in England, Africa, China, America….the world. It is critical that every part of the Body of Christ (whether we are “infants,” “teenagers” or “adults”) has a spiritual father or mother to disciple us. Without a mentor to teach, encourage, and yes, lovingly rebuke us at times, we, like foolish children are prone to disobey our Father in Heaven. Left to ourselves, we can easily become consumed by the evil in our midst, and succumb to the desires of our flesh. As a result, we (sometimes unknowingly), choose for ourselves a rod of punishment.

1 Corinthians 4:18-21

18 Some of you have become arrogant, thinking I will not visit you again. 19 But I will come—and soon—if the Lord lets me, and then I’ll find out whether these arrogant people just give pretentious speeches or whether they really have God’s power. 20 For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power. 21 Which do you choose? Should I come with a rod to punish you, or should I come with love and a gentle spirit?

“Some people talk a lot about faith, but that’s all it is- talk. They may know all the right words to say, but their lives don’t reflect God’s power. Paul says that the Kingdom of God is to be lived, not discussed.”

-Life Application Study Bible

With love and a gentle spirit, I want to urge to find a spiritual father or mother. The mentor you choose should imitate Christ and live a life that produces good fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). They should be a man or woman whose heart is submitted to obeying the Lord. They should be a person who is willing to humble him/herself, confess and repent for their sins not only to God, but also to others.

James 5:16

16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

And, they should be a person who is willing to invest their time, talent and treasure into training you to become a fully devoted follower of Jesus (NOTE: this person may or may not be your Pastor, Sunday School Teacher or Small Group Leader. In the past, I naively expected leaders in the church to provide the training I needed, but I quickly realized that their role was that of an apostle, prophet or teacher- not a mentor).

“Paul told the Corinthians to imitate him- to follow his example. He was able to make this statement because he walked close to God, spent time in God’s Word and in prayer, and was aware of God’s presence at all times. God was Paul’s example; therefore, Paul’s life could be an example to other Christians. Paul wasn’t expecting others to imitate everything he did, but they should imitate those aspects of his beliefs and conduct that were modeling Christ’s way of living.”

-Life Application Study Bible

Religious Leaders

May 22, 2014October 21, 2014 / Jodie / Leave a comment

Matthew 23:1-12

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses.[a] 3 So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. 4 They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.

5 “Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels.[b] 6 And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. 7 They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’[c]

8 “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters.[d] 9 And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father. 10 And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you must be a servant. 12 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

According to Webster, a leader is a person who leads or commands a group, organization, or country.

I have had the privilege of leading various groups of people for more than a decade. When my husband and I started a non-profit ministry to serve married couples in 2010, I was also given the responsibility of leading an organization. I found it strange, however, that once I had a title behind my name and a few business cards to hand out, I felt different. It didn’t take me long to discover that I, like other “religious leaders” was becoming proud of my calling, my knowledge, my gifts and my ability to attract followers. I quickly realized that if I didn’t humble myself before the Lord, I would be in serious danger of becoming a Pharisee.

I’ve served under a variety of leaders in the body of Christ in the years since I became a follower of Jesus. I’ve been crushed by some of their demands and watched in amasement as they never lifted a finger to help the ones in which they led. I’ve heard some give powerful speeches about loving one another and then watch them walk off the stage and treat others with contempt and disrespect. I’ve sat in auditoriums filled with volunteers at service appreciation banquets while guest speakers praised the pastor and staff over and over and over again, declaring that we, the body had the greatest among men/women leading us….all the while wondering if they were talking about the same people I served under for years!? I’ve witnessed new believers climb the ranks from volunteer to team leader to staff member at a rapid pace…and sadly, I’ve seen those same kind hearted people become a clone of their mentor; reflecting the same arrogant attitude of superiority towards those whom they were leading. Julius, in “Remember the Titans” summed up their transformation perfectly: “attitude reflects leadership……captain.”

In the remaining verses of Matthew 23, Jesus condemned the religious leaders 7 TIMES saying, “what sorrow awaits you. Hypocrites!” Sadly, I must admit, I’ve heard Him say the same to me. He has humbled me on more than one occasion when I have exalted myself above my fellow sojourners. I pray that He continues to do the same through the power of His Word, through my conversations with Him, and through the rebukes of those who lead me, serve alongside me, and those who follow my example.

Matthew 23:13-39

13 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either.[a]

15 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell[b] you yourselves are!

16 “Blind guides! What sorrow awaits you! For you say that it means nothing to swear ‘by God’s Temple,’ but that it is binding to swear ‘by the gold in the Temple.’ 17 Blind fools! Which is more important—the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 And you say that to swear ‘by the altar’ is not binding, but to swear ‘by the gifts on the altar’ is binding. 19 How blind! For which is more important—the gift on the altar or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 When you swear ‘by the altar,’ you are swearing by it and by everything on it. 21 And when you swear ‘by the Temple,’ you are swearing by it and by God, who lives in it. 22 And when you swear ‘by heaven,’ you are swearing by the throne of God and by God, who sits on the throne.

23 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens,[c] but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. 24 Blind guides! You strain your water so you won’t accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel![d]

25 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! 26 You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish,[e] and then the outside will become clean, too.

27 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. 28 Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you build tombs for the prophets your ancestors killed, and you decorate the monuments of the godly people your ancestors destroyed. 30 Then you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would never have joined them in killing the prophets.’

31 “But in saying that, you testify against yourselves that you are indeed the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Go ahead and finish what your ancestors started. 33 Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell?

34 “Therefore, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers of religious law. But you will kill some by crucifixion, and you will flog others with whips in your synagogues, chasing them from city to city. 35 As a result, you will be held responsible for the murder of all godly people of all time—from the murder of righteous Abel to the murder of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you killed in the Temple between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 I tell you the truth, this judgment will fall on this very generation.

18

May 19, 2014October 21, 2014 / Jodie / 1 Comment

Proverbs 18

Unfriendly people care only about themselves; they lash out at common sense.

2 Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions.

3 Doing wrong leads to disgrace, and scandalous behavior brings contempt.

4 Wise words are like deep waters; wisdom flows from the wise like a bubbling brook.

5 It is not right to acquit the guilty or deny justice to the innocent.

6 Fools’ words get them into constant quarrels; they are asking for a beating.

7 The mouths of fools are their ruin; they trap themselves with their lips.

8 Rumors are dainty morsels that sink deep into one’s heart.

9 A lazy person is as bad as someone who destroys things.

10 The name of the Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe.

11 The rich think of their wealth as a strong defense; they imagine it to be a high wall of safety.

12 Haughtiness goes before destruction; humility precedes honor.

13 Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish.

14 The human spirit can endure a sick body, but who can bear a crushed spirit?

15 Intelligent people are always ready to learn. Their ears are open for knowledge.

16 Giving a gift can open doors; it gives access to important people!

17 The first to speak in court sounds right— until the cross-examination begins.

18 Flipping a coin can end arguments; it settles disputes between powerful opponents.

19 An offended friend is harder to win back than a fortified city. Arguments separate friends like a gate locked with bars.

20 Wise words satisfy like a good meal; the right words bring satisfaction.

21 The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.

22 The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord.

23 The poor plead for mercy; the rich answer with insults.

24 There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.

Yesterday, on the 18^th day of May, Doug and I celebrated our 18^th wedding anniversary. Mid morning, as we sat on the back deck, sipping our cups of coffee, Doug read Proverbs 18 aloud. I began to chuckle as I recalled the years we’ve spent together and how Solomon’s words of wisdom so aptly applied to our lives….

During the first five or so years of our marriage, we were both unfriendly people. Our constant quarreling proved we cared only about ourselves. I, for one, aired my opinion much to frequently and my mouth was my ruin on many occasions. I had absolutely NO interest in understanding my husband – or my God.

Through the years we’ve since learned how hard it is to win back one another’s trust and affection after an offense. We’ve realized that wise words, spoken at the right time, can satisfy the soul. We’ve also discovered that God honors humility and it is the key to resolution and restoration in a relationship.

In the two decades we’ve known one another, we’ve experienced joy and grief, happiness and despair, life and death….but the greatest experiences we’ve known are the ones in which we have seen and felt the presence of God. For without Him, there would be no marriage. Without Him, there would be no love. Without Him, there would be no possible way for one man and one woman to become one flesh after living together for 18 years!

Genesis 2:24

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Humble Yourself

May 12, 2014October 21, 2014 / Jodie / Leave a comment

James 4:4-10

4 You adulterers![a] Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. 5 What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy?[b]6 But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say,

“God opposes the proud  but favors the humble.”[c]

7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

There are several songs I remember singing as a teenager during youth group meetings at Glenkirk Presbyterian Church in Southern California. One chorus in particular keeps replaying through my mind because, I believe, it’s a principal that God wants to solidify in my heart.

“Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord….”

(echo) “Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord….”

“Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord….”

(echo) “Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord….”

“And He will raise you higher and higher and higher and higher…. And He will raise you higher and higher and higher and higher….”

I, like most of us, like being praised. It’s nice to be acknowledged for all the hard work I do for others. But that desire for recognition is pride…and when I seek that feeling of worthiness from man, woman, or child, God opposes me.

Consider the role of mother. From the moment of conception, the child within is on the take. In order to ensure its survival, the growing fetus needs to take up room inside our bodies to develop and take in nutrients to sustain life. After the child is born it continues to take our time, our energy, our talents – and sometimes even our minds! Motherhood is often a sacrificial, thank-less job.

Not until I became a mother did I realize the sacrifice my mother gave in order to give me life. Most of her efforts went unacknowledged and unappreciated until I was an adult.

Not until I became a Christ follower did I realize the sacrifice my Savior gave in order to give me eternal life in heaven -and life to the full on this earth. Most of His efforts when unacknowledged and unappreciated….. until I began learning how Jesus humbled himself in the sight of the Father over and over and over again. Never once did He seek the praises of man. Instead, He sought only to fulfill the will of the One who sent Him; to give his life as a sacrifice on behalf of those who didn’t deserve it. Yet, in the end, God raised His Son from the dead and lifted Him to the seat of honor, beside His throne.

In His grace and generosity, God promises to do the same for me. As I continue to crucify my flesh and humble myself in the sight of the Lord, He will lift me up in honor. Some of that honor will be for this world, but only to Advance His Kingdom and make His name great. Some will be reserved for the day that I stand before my Father’s throne. And in that moment, the only acknowledgement that will matter will be from the One who created me in my mother’s womb.